Adjustable weight control for a domestic ice maker

ABSTRACT

Means for controlling the amount of ice bodies collected in a storage bin. The bin is yieldably supported to move downwardly as a function of the weight of the ice bodies collected therein. An adjustable means is mounted on the collecting bin for adjustable actuation of a shut-off control mechanism for controlling the means for transferring ice bodies to the collecting bin so as to prevent further transfer of ice bodies to the collecting bin when the level of ice bodies in the collecting bin reaches a preselected level.

United States Patent Linstromberg 1 June 5,1973

[54] ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT CONTROL FOR A DOMESTIC ICE MAKER [75] Inventor: William J. Linstromberg, Evansville,

. Ind.

[73] Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich.

[22] Filed: Oct. 9, 1970 [21] Appl. No: 79,398

[52] U.S. Cl. ..62/137, 177/105, ZOO/61.2, 222/58 [51] Int. Cl. ..F25c 5/18 [58] Field of Search ..177/105, 164, 85; ZOO/61.2, 61.21, 166 M; 222/56, 58; 62/137, 344, 188, 177

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,415,050 5/1922 Reichart ..200/166 M 3,269,139 8/1966 De Vincent. ..62/137 3,452,833 7/1969v Wolters ..177/164 3,474,637 10/1969 Buchser ..62/137 2,381,894 8/1945 2,779,562 l/l957 2,420,548 5/1947 Mackay et al ..200/166 M UX 2,503,082 4/1950 Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner Att0rney.lames S. Nettleton, Thomas E. Turcotte,

Burton H. Baker, Gene A. Heth, FranklinC. Harter,'

Anthony Niewyk, Robert L. Judd and Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman and McCord [57] ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Tuttle ..200/166 M X ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT CONTROL FOR A DOMESTIC ICE MAKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to ice body makers and in particular to means for controlling the amount of ice bodies collected in a collecting bin thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art In one form of automatic ice body maker such as for domestic use, ice bodies are delivered into a collecting bin for facilitated storage and disposition by the user. In one form of conventional domestic ice maker, the amount of ice bodies so stored in the collecting bin is regulated by a weight responsive control. The control is responsive to the downward movement of the bin as a result of the weight of the collected ice bodies therein so as to terminate further operation of the transferring means.

The known ice makers of this type have the disadvantage of limited control. In one form of such ice maker, adjustment of the control is-effected by adjusting the position of the switch contact points. In another form means are provided for changing the spring characteristics. Such adjustment does not provide for facilitated control of the ice body member by the user in normal use thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprehends an improved ice body maker having improved means for controlling the transfer of ice bodies to a collecting bin to provide accurate control of the amount of ice bodies so collected.

the ice body collecting functioning when desired.

The control may be infinitely adjustable to permit an infinite variation in the amount of ice bodies so collected from the provision of a maximum full bin to a complete shutoff of the transferring function. Alternatively, the control may be provided with stepped means for providing a preselected series of amounts of ice bodies collected in the collecting bin.

The control includes means mounted directly on the collecting bin for varying the effect of the displacement of the collecting bin relative to a shut-off mechanism provided for controlling the operation of the transferring means. More specifically, the collecting bin is carried by yieldable support means permitting a downward movement of the collecting bin relative to the fixed shut-off mechanism. The adjustable control definesmeans for varying the surface means on the collecting bin provided for actuating the shut-off mechanism so as to provide for operation of the shut-off mechanism at different positions of the collecting bin.

The adjustable control may be arranged to define an upper surface portion of one of the upstanding walls of the collecting bin. Further, the adjustable control means may be provided with a manual operating knob mounted in and extending through the front wall of the collecting bin for facilitated manual adjustment by the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

' The control is adjustable to permit complete cutoff of FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an ice body maker provided with control means embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged front elevation of the control as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section similar to that of FIG. 3, but with the control arranged for a maximum collection of ice bodies in the collecting bin;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the control as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section of the control shaft taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section illustrating a modified form of control means embodying the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1-7 of the drawing, an ice body maker generally designated 10 is shown to comprise conventional means generally designated 11 for forming ice bodies which may include a freezing mold l2 and a control 13. Control 13 includes a switch 14 serving as a shut-off mechanism to prevent further transfer of ice bodies from mold 12 to a subjacent collecting bin 15 when the switch is suitably operated. The present invention is concerned with the means for operating a shut-off mechanism such as switch 14 providing an improved adjustable control thereof by the user as desired. It is to be understood that the improved adjustable control has equal utility with other types of shutoff mechanisms. One such type of shut-off mechanism is disclosed in U. S. Patent application Ser. No. 46,920, filed June 17, 1970 and assigned to the assignee of this application. The shut-off mechanism disclosed in the aforementioned application is a mechanical bin level sensing control which in one embodiment is responsive to the weight of the ice body collecting bin.

In the disclosed embodiment, switch 14 is operated by an actuator 16 which extends downwardly from control 13 to overlie the collecting bin 15. The collecting bin comprises a bottom wall 17, and an upstanding wall means including side walls 18 and 19, front wall 20 and rear wall 21 defining an outwardly opening ice body collecting space 22. The means for adjustably controlling the operation of switch 14 comprises an adjustable control generally designated 23 carried by the collecting bin 15 at the front lefthand corner thereof as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

More specifically as best seen in FIG. 3, left side wall 18 includes an outturned flange 24 defining a gap 25 directly rearwardly of an upstanding top portion 26 of front wall 20. Control 23 effectively defines an upwardly facing surface 27 at gap 25 disposed to be engaged by actuator 16 for controlling the operation of switch 14.

Collecting bin 15 is caused to move downwardly by the weight of ice bodies collected in space 22 acting against a spring 28 extending between flange 24 and a support 29. Thus, as the weight of ice bodies collected in space 21 increases, bin 15 moves downwardly to move control surface 27 downwardly and thereby allow actuator 16 to move downwardly. When the downward movement of actuator 16 is sufficient to operate switch 114, further operation of control 13 to transfer ice bodies from the mold 12 to the collecting bin is prevented.

The invention comprehends means for adjusting surface 27 so as to cause operation of switch M at any one of an infinite number of different positions of the collecting bin 15. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, control 23 includes a cylindrical member defined by a shaft 30 having a surface portion 31 eccentrically related to the axis 32 of the shaft. The distal end of the shaft is provided with a pivot extension 33 which is pivotally mounted in a depending flange 34 of wall 18. At its front end, shaft 30 carries a control knob 35. Knob 35 comprises a cylindrical element extending coaxially of shaft 30 and journalled in a hole 36 of front wall 20 and a second hole 37 in a forwardly projecting downturned flange 38 at the upper lefthand corner of the front wall as seen in FIG. 2. The knob may include a knurled front portion 39 for fingertip grasping by the user. The face of the knob includes a pointer line 40 cooperating with indicia 41 and 42 indicating the empty and full conditions of the receptacle respectively. A split retaining ring 43 may be mounted on the knob 35 rearwardly of the downturned flange 38 to retain the shaft and knob against axial movement outwardly forwardly through flange 38.

As knob 35 is rotated from the empty position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to the full position shown in FIGS. and 6, the upper surface 27 of control portions 30 and 31 moves from a lowermost position flush with the top of side wall flange 24 to an uppermost position substan tially above the top of flange 24. Thus, in the empty position of FIG. 3, actuator 16 is permitted to operate switch 14 to prevent transfer of ice bodies from mold 12 thereby maintaining the collecting bin empty. Thus, in this position of the control, the ice maker is effectively shut off.

Different quantities of ice bodies may be stored in collecting bin 15 by suitably rotating control knob 35 to dispose progressively different portions of control surface 31 uppermost to define actuator engaging surface 27. As shown in FIG. 7, the eccentric surface 31 is progressively spaced further and further from axis 32 to provide an infinite adjustment in the positioning of the upper surface 27 relative to the top of flange 24. Thus, an infinite adjustment in the amount of ice bodies collected in bin 15 is obtained from the empty condition of FIG. 3 to a full condition as provided by the arrangement in FIGS. 5 and 6.

Retaining ring 43 may be arranged to provide a frictional retention of the control in the selected angular disposition by positioning of ring 43 on knob 35 to have facial engagement with the rear surface of flange 33.

As shown in FIG. 8, a modified form of adjustable control generally designated 123 is similar to control 23 except that means are provided for removably retaining the control in different preselected angular dispositions. More specifically, the retaining means generally designated 145 may comprise a plurality of recesses 146 spaced circumferentially about the axis of knob 35 forwardly of bin front wall 120. A ball retainer generally designated 147 is mounted on front wall 120 below knob 135 and includes a ball 148 biased removably into the respective recesses 146 by means of a coil spring 149 seated in a socket 150. Thus, the control knob 135 may be selectively retained in a preselected plurality of different angular dispositions corresponding to the locations of the recesses 146 so as to provide a discrete number of different ice body levels in bin T15. In all other respects, control 123 is similar to and functions similarly to control 23 of ice maker apparatus ill).

Thus, the present invention comprehends an ice body maker structure having improved means for controlling the transferring means thereof to provide selectively different levels of ice bodies in the collecting bin. The control is arranged to shut off the ice maker in one disposition and to provide an infinite adjustment of the amount of ice bodies collected in the bin up to a maximum full amount. The control includes adjustable means carried on the collecting bin for operating a shut-off mechanism of the ice maker control selectively at any one of an infinite number of different bin dispositions. In an alternate form preselected discrete levels of collected ice bodies are provided.

The adjustable controls of the present invention are extremely simple and economical of construction while yet providing the improved facilitated adjustable control of the collected ice body level as discussed above.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is illustrative of the broad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention.

I claim:

1. In an ice body maker having means for forming ice bodies, a collecting bin, means for transferring the formed ice bodies to said collecting bin, a fixed coil spring yieldably supporting the bin for variable disposition as a function of the weight of ice bodies collected in the bin, and a shut-off switch having an actuator and controlling operation of said transferring means for selectively preventing further transfer of ice bodies to said bin, the improvement comprising: a cylindrical member movably mounted on said bin for rotation about a fixed axis, a surface portion of the cylindrical member defining a surface adjacent said shut-off switch actuator and having variable spacing from said fixed axis, said shut-off switch actuator continuously engaging said surface portion and operable as a function of the adjusted positioning of said surface portion relative to said switch to define an adjustable control for preventing further transfer of ice bodies selectively at any one of a plurality of different selectable dispositions of said bin corresponding to different rotational positions of the cylindrical member on said bin, the engagement of said actuator with said cylindrical member further effectively providing a frictional retaining force on said cylindrical member. v

2. The ice body maker of claim 1 including index means for retaining the cylindrical member in different preselected adjusted positions.

3. The ice body maker of claim 1 wherein said bin includes a bottom wall, and upstanding side, front and rear walls defining an upwardly opening space and said cylindrical member surface comprises means defining an upwardly facing movable portion of one of said upstanding walls.

4. The ice body maker structure of claim 3 wherein said cylindrical member projects through another of said upstanding walls. 7

5. The ice body maker structure of claim 3 wherein said cylindrical member defines a cylindrical knob journalled in said front wall and coaxially carrying one end of said movable wall portion. 

1. In an ice body maker having means for forming ice bodies, a collecting bin, means for transferring the formed ice bodies to said collecting bin, a fixed coil spring yieldably supporting the bin for variable disposition as a function of the weight of ice bodies collected in the bin, and a shut-off switch having an actuator and controlling operation of said transferring means for selectively preventing further transfer of ice bodies to said bin, the improvement comprising: a cylindrical member movably mounted on said bin for rotation about a fixed axis, a surface portion of the cylindrical member defining a surface adjacent said shut-off switch actuator and having variable spacing from said fixed axis, said shut-off switch actuator continuously engaging said surface portion and operable as a function of the adjusted positioning of said surface portion relative to said switch to define an adjustable control for preventing further transfer of ice bodies selectively at any one of a plurality of different selectable dispositions of said bin corresponding to different rotational positions of the cylindrical member on said bin, the engagement of said actuator with said cylindrical member further effectively providing a frictional retaining force on said cylindrical member.
 2. The ice body maker of claim 1 including index means for retaining the cylindrical member in different preselected adjusted positions.
 3. The ice body maker of claim 1 wherein said bin includes a bottom wall, and upstanding side, front and rear walls defining an upwardly opening space and said cylindrical member surface comprises means defining an upwardly facing movable portion of one of said upstanding walls.
 4. The ice body maker structure of claim 3 wherein said cylindrical member projects through another of said upstanding walls.
 5. The ice body maker structure of claim 3 wherein said cylindrical member defines a cylindrical knob journalled in said front wall and coaxially carrying one end of said movable wall portion. 